Love Is For Everyone

Wer wartet mit Besonnenheit
der wird belohnt zur rechten Zeit
Nun, das Warten hat ein Ende
Leiht euer Ohr einer Legende

~Rammstein, Rammleid

They're back, ladies and gentlemen, and though this first verse off their latest album is self-aggrandizing, for this fan, it's true. The wait is over today, and the legend returns.

At first listen, it seems unrecognizable, yet familiar. Some say that Rammstein has joined the mainstream and started to simply make homogeneous metal. I would say that this is not the case, as they still have every element that made me like them from every album previous. Massive sound, heavy distortion of very melodic patterns, driving songs (mostly, more on that later), and above it all, Till Lindemann's grinding and operatic vocals.

Most of the songs from this album have a clearly recognized melody, but others are much harder, literally and musically. Yet, if you sit through long enough, listen to the lyrics (do some translating while you're at it) you'll find yourself on a beautiful, embracing bridge or chorus. It's true of almost every song they've put out. Which brings me to the the next point of happiness for me.

In previous albums, occasionally Rammstein will make a song referencing some horrible act of society or person, be it real or fictional. The last one on Rosenrot was about a guy who was cheered into jumping off of a bridge (which strangely doesn't need an exact reference. It seems to happen every once in a while). This time, it's Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood), a creepy, frightening recounting of the recent Fritzl case. No real melody here, just guitars, synths, and a psychopathic German man telling you an emotional ghost story.

The title track Liebe ist für Alle Da is a more worldly sound for metal. Translated it means "Love is for Everyone." A hammering song, it still has the aforementioned melody somewhere in there. The main reason I bring this up is because with Rammstein, and on this album especially, nothing is as simple as it sounds. They flip around common German idioms, make divine cultural references behind your back, and trick you into thinking you're going to be in one mood, but put you in another. Further explanation will require you to listen to the song first.

And on that note, the dark tone of this album is occasionally put to the side. The extended edition of this release has roughly 4 ballads on it. It's a little maddening, but on the whole, well, I do enjoy falling sleeping to metal. I never knew Till Lindemann could sing such lovely French. A couple of these songs are of the special (read: slightly saddening) kind where the song is exactly the same, but the lyrics are different. Oh well. You only get to enjoy that if you bought the extended edition.

In summation, Ramming Stone's latest album is a very welcome and long overdue addition to my Rammstein library. Not every song appealed at first listen, but many of them grew on me very quickly. Songs to buy this album for are Ich Tut Dir Weh, Haifisch, Pussy, and if they're your taste, Rammlied and B********. Songs that will quickly grow on you are Liebe ist für Alle Da, Waidmann's Heil, and Frühling in Paris (again, if it's your style.) This isn't their greatest album, but it's good, and well worth my purchase.

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Rock On!!!!

-The0